Snowed Out
by Mable
Summary: 9 and 5 head out into the Emptiness to retrieve ink, not realizing that the already cold weather is about to take a turn for the worst. Soon 5 finds himself with the task of saving his friend before they both freeze. 5x9, minor 1x2 and 6x8.


**Mable: I've been working on this oneshot for a while to get out of my 9 rut. XD I've been stuck on both of my chaptered fics, 'When the Wolf Watches' and 'Magnetic Attraction', so I thought maybe getting a story out would help me get back on track once again. This will also be my first fic that I will also post on Archive of Our Own, which I got an account for. Don't worry about me switching fully over there or posting anything exclusively somewhere else, though. If any account will get the most attention, it will be this one. ^-^ Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Snowed Out**_

"Nine…" Six's voice was soft and needy as he peeked into Nine and Five's bedroom. "I really need ink."

It had snowed the night before and, while the Stitchpunks were risking going out to examine and play in it, the temperature was steadily dropping. The twins already had fallen under the weather and were instructed by Two to stay in bed, so they weren't able to get some ink for Six from their supply. Nobody else was really able to decode the twins' filing system either. This left Six without ink and, naturally, he would ask Nine. Nine was the only one determined, or stubborn enough that he would go out and get ink at a time like this. Six knew this and knew he was his last hope.

Nine and Five were currently enjoying one of the perks of having a bedroom further behind the others', in the deeper walls of the Library; it was quite a bit warmer than the rest of the Sanctuary. Five still had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he and Nine played a game on Two's chess set. His face gawked in horror at Nine's response. "Alright, Six. I'll head out and get some in a little bit," he gave a friendly smile and Six looked relieved. Five looked to Nine and sputtered, "Nine, have you seen it out there?!" He then looked to Six.

"Uh… Sorry, Six. I just don't think it's safe. Later I'll help you look around here for some." Nine made his move and responded, "We don't want to use up all the ink we have here. What if we get snowed in? We'll just head over to that… Calligography store." His optics flickered to Five, "Did I say that right?" While Five disagreed with the comment, a small smile fought its way onto his face, "It's just Calligraphy." The two shared a chuckle, Nine's more embarrassed than Five's was. Then the one eyed male insisted, "With the state of the twins I don't think that it would be safe."

"Come on, Five, we can be there and back again in a few minutes. You're losing anyway." He then promptly claimed his queen. Five exhaled with an unconvinced tone, "I don't know…" He now looked to Six who had one of the most pitiful looks possible on his striped face. Five had been placed in a bind. "Well… Alright," Five caved with a sigh. "But let's just… Let's just be quick. We'll need to bundle really thick and not make any detours." Nine smiled and Six practically glowed, while Five already regretted his inability to say 'no' to the two.

Soon Nine and Five were putting on their patched coats, scarves, and gloves and then heading out into the throne room. It was a bit cooler in the throne room. Eight looked comfortable enough if he kept sharpening his knife, creating warmth through work, but One was completely enwrapped in a thick robe while curled in his throne. Two was also there, kicking what looked like a metal box in frustration. The box then sprung to life with a groaning noise and a metallic whirring. "What is that?" Nine asked, leaning closer to Five who stared in horror. "I thought that thing was destroyed in the fire…"

"What?" Nine asked in confusion and watched as Five hurried over. Two noticed his apprentice and gave a warm smile, "Going somewhere, Five?" He rubbed his arms slightly subconsciously as Five stared at the box. "Two, where- how did?!" The Inventor chuckled, "Yes, the heater! Remarkably I found it in the wreckage of the Cathedral a while back. Seems to be working now, too." The apprentice looked more concerned, "Two, that heater doesn't really… It's sort of… Well." He didn't know what to say to not hurt Two's feelings. Nine tried something, "It's smoking."

Both Two and Five turned to the smoking machine abruptly. Two gasped and shut it off. "Oh, goodness me! Well, nothing ventured nothing gained I suppose. At least I know that it can come on now. I'll take it apart later and see if I can figure out the problem." He hummed in disappointment, "Unfortunately that means I still need a way to get warm… I suppose I could always just slide in beside One." One looked offended at the idea and pulled his robe in tighter. Both Nine and Five were aware though that One and Two shared a bed very frequently with one another.

"The storm's getting worse. Where are you two going?" One inquired to take the conversation back in a different direction. Nine volunteered to answer instead of making Five take the brunt of it. Usually One focused on whoever gave the news and Nine knew Five was going out when he didn't want to. "Six ran out of ink and we were going to get some now. Or else we'll be out there in two or three days getting it." The Leader frowned at the male pointedly. "In this weather? That's madness! The ink can wait." Though Nine was determined and tried to reason.

"One, we're not going far… And we're not running around without a plan, either. Five already knows where we're going." One's slanted eyes fell on Five who felt anxiousness overtake him. He babbled out a response, "It's not far, just a calligraphy shop down the road. I have the map already and if we hurry it shouldn't even take an hour, maybe even half an hour, and usually weather doesn't change that fast. I mean, it always could, but it usually doesn't. Anything's possible, but I'm pretty sure we're… Uh…" He cut off as Nine rested a hand on his back, signaling him that he was rambling.

Five got a flustered smile and Nine looked to One. "We'll be back in only a couple of minutes and be as careful as possible." One scoffed at the comment, "If you were being that careful you wouldn't go on such a dangerous mission for ink alone… But fine, do as you wish. Go." He made a scooting gesture with his hand and then buried his arm back under his robe. Nine smiled and Five exhaled in relief. Two now turned to them, "Be careful. One's not entirely exaggerating about the weather. It's not as stable as it was yesterday. At the first sign of wind you should return."

Both of the younger Stitchpunks nodded and continued out. Meanwhile, they could hear Two scurry over to One. "There, I warned them properly, now let me in beside you!" One sputtered as Two tried to climb under his robe. "How dare you! Get off of me! Eight, get him off of me!" Eight did no such thing, seeming more content to ignore them, as Two comfortably curled in beside One on the throne, under his robe. "Now then, isn't that warmer?" he offered. One shifted a bit, exhaled as he gave in, and answered, "…Yes, fine, it is a bit warmer."

Meanwhile, Nine and Five headed out of the Library. There were already a few inches of snow on the ground of the courtyard that they had to wade through. It didn't seem too uncomfortable and Five led the way. "It really shouldn't be far and we should keep going so that we don't get cold," he reminded and Nine agreed. "Alright… It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Five perked from staring at the map and looked back. "What, going out to the Calligraphy store?" Nine actually laughed at the comment a little, "No, the snow! It's just so… I don't even know if 'amazing' even fits."

Five looked back to see Nine staring out at the layer of white. His eyes seemed to glow in delight and the healer couldn't fight the smile that emerged on his face. He would never forget Nine's awe the first time he saw the snow. Even now there was such an innocent wonder, one that tugged at the one eyed male's heart in the strangest ways. Though it wouldn't be the first time. Over the time since the war with the Machine, Five had noticed himself becoming more drawn to Nine. His behaviors, his personality, and everything else that made him what he was had become only more endearing.

Five realized he was getting distracted and cleared his voice module. "I-It is. I remember our first winter in it. One didn't want to even let us out of the Sanctuary!" Nine looked over with a curious look, "Didn't he know what it was?" The buttoned male gave a nod, "He did, he was just afraid that Stitchpunks couldn't go into the snow." They continued to wander along together towards the old town square. The calligraphy shop was a rather small shop with a large window that faced the street. Inside it was a harvesting ground for ink, paper, pens, nibs, and other things.

The trip inside was uneventful. Nine and Five headed inside, glad to be sheltered from the cold for a moment, found a couple of inkwells that they could easily carry, and then left. However, it was when they stepped back outside that things took a change. In the short time they were inside, the outside world had been hit with harsher winds, and a sudden increase in snowfall caused them to have trouble seeing the surrounding area. As though it couldn't get worse, it was an icy cold wind, blowing snowflakes and snow clumps along with it. They stared out in horror.

"We need to hurry home," Nine finally called to Five, trying to speak above the wind. He was alarmed that the weather had changed so quickly. "Before it gets any worse. Can you take us back?" Part of Five knew that it would be safer to go back into the store and wait it out. Yet the panic of not getting home won out instead, and he found himself making a possibly risky decision. "I think I can. It's this way," he moved his scarf tighter and attempted to lead the way that they came. It was more difficult to see, especially with only one eye, but he tried to lead.

Unfortunately, the two didn't get far until it became apparent that the weather was too strong to walk through. At this time Five turned back to Nine. In a surprising change, he took charge, "We have to find shelter! We won't make it like this!" Nine went to protest, "But-!" He then stopped, his face getting a look of brief fear. He knew that the Healer was right. With a silent nod, he followed as Five made a dash for a nearby alleyway. While there was some snow in the partially covered alley, it was a narrow enough space that the wind wasn't getting inside.

"I don't think it's stopping anytime soon…" Five's voice was uncertain as he stared outside of the alley and into the blizzard. Nine shivered as he looked around, "Maybe we should light a fire… Did you bring any matches?" With a nod, his friend eagerly presented one. Nine gave a delighted smile, "Great! Now if we could find something to burn we could keep warm." He started down the alley on his own, optics searching around for anything flammable. He found some newspaper, but most of it was damp and unusable. The dry portion was collected.

That was when he noticed an empty, soggy cardboard box. "Maybe we should make that a shelter," he offered. Five stared at the box, "That cardboard box? Okay, sure, it looks like it should hold a little longer. We can't light the fire in it, though." Nine stepped inside of the box, the portion under his feet was soft and damp. "I don't think we could light it if we tried." As he wandered into the back he could feel it get a little dryer towards the back. As he looked around, Five tried to make a small fire with what they found. He made it in front of the box's opening and they sat beside it.

It was immediately obvious that the little warmth from the fire wasn't going to last long. They watched as the fire burned and then quickly died down afterwards. By this time Five noticed something was wrong with Nine, who was shivering lightly. "Nine?" he questioned in concern and reached out to touch his arm. He gasped as he noticed a slight dampness on the jacket. "You're soaked!" Nine seemed confused and the nonchalant, "Not really soaked. I just got a little wet from the snow." The older male shook his head.

"Nine, I don't think you understand how dangerous it is to be wet. You need to take those off… I might need to take off my gloves too…" He only then noticed that his gloves held a dampness in them. Nine was alarmed, "What? No, Five, I'm only going to get colder if I take my clothes off! At least they're mostly warm!" The one eyed male shook his head in determination. "Trust me, it'll sap the rest of your heat before you know it. Just… Here, I have an… An idea…" A weirdly anxious tone took his voice as he stood and beckoned Nine to come with.

The fire was basically out by now regardless so the zippered male stood. He only shivered more as he moved and stiffly moved deeper in the box with his best friend. "W-What if the others come looking?" he stuttered out as Five sat down, removing his gloves and setting them aside. "I don't think they can. Here, sit down with me." Nine knelt beside Five who then began to remove his jacket. Thankfully Nine's scarf and gloves were still securely dry. Nine was shivering heavily as the coat was removed, but then gasped as Five removed his own.

"Five, no, I can't take your coat," Nine protested. "You need it… But that wasn't really what I had in mind…" Five quietly admitted, his shyness coming out. "Move closer, okay? I'm going to put the coat over us and we're going to use natural body heat to keep each other warm until the storm passes." The entire sentence was rushed into a slur of words, but Nine eagerly slid beside Five. He nuzzled against him desperately, coughing out a, "Thanks." As Nine's face buried against his shoulder, Five attempted to get the coat equally over both of their bodies, giving a little extra to Nine.

"You don't mind me holding you, do you?" Five softly offered as he started to slide his arm around his zippered front. Nine shook his head, "N-No. It's warmer." He was starting to speak less and in shorter comments; Five noticed this and became a little more concerned. He embraced Nine tighter and pressed him against his buttons. Yet Five couldn't help but feel a heat intensifying in his chest, especially as Nine moved from his shoulder to a position closer to his neck. For a while the Healer thought that this was going to work and expected the blizzard to stop quickly.

But neither of those outcomes took place. Five was first concerned with Nine's growing quietness and nudged him a bit. It wasn't until Nine shifted that Five realized how hot his face had gotten. While the rest of Nine's body was tepid and he was struggling to keep it warm, his face was starting to grow more heated. This was a sign of overheating, something that Five knew in and of itself to be a bad sign. Overheating in the core was basically the Stitchpunk equivalent of a fever and usually was triggered by the body being under stress.

It didn't mean he was getting warmer, it just meant that the cold had done more than he imagined. "Nine?" Five asked meekly and Nine partially shifted, optics opening some. "Five…" he slurred out, tipping slightly in weakness as he tried to straighten himself, "Five, something's wrong…" Panic was beginning to fill Five as he raised Nine's face. "Can you look at me?" A brief look of confusion passed Nine's face before he did as asked. The one eyed male could see how dilated his pupils had become and knew this too was a sign of something terrible. "What's wrong?" Nine asked quietly.

"Nothing… Here, just… Just lay against me," he pulled Nine to him again and coddled him close. As though he could fix him with hugging alone, which he knew that he couldn't. Nine would need to get to a comfortable temperature and only then could Five attempt to cool the overheating. At this moment the overheating wasn't nearly as dangerous as the prospect of the zippered male being cold. "Five, I'm- I'm sorry." Nine suddenly spoke and Five was surprised by the apology. "Don't be sorry. It was me, I should've known to stay back at the calligraphy store."

"No, I made you come out," Nine's voice lightly cracked and his hands tightened on the Healer. "I always make you go out when you don't want to. I always do it." He definitely sounded somewhat confused. While Nine did encourage him to go out, Five never actually heard Nine second doubt it, or even say something remotely similar to this. Usually when they went out into the world Nine did it with a sort of confidence. That was now entirely missing from his voice. In fact, Nine even sounded a bit saddened, and Five attempted to comfort him. "I come because I want to, Nine. I make that choice."

Nine shuddered, choked, and then began to lightly cry against Five's front. Five knew that this was a warning sign as well. Nine was completely delusional now and not acting rationally. Suddenly Five knew that he couldn't just wait for the storm to pass. As long as they were stuck in this cardboard box, away from the others' help and safety, Nine was going to continue going downhill. It probably was all because he wasn't used to the cold, because his body was slenderer to make him more agile, so Five knew he had to take yet another risk. "Nine… I need to take you home."

"I want to go home," the younger squeaked back, still not fully there and not fully understanding what the Healer was suggesting. Five knew he had to keep Nine warm. He wrapped his dry jacket around Nine and secured it. Then he wrapped the damp jacket over that, somehow managing to secure it. He then fixed Nine's scarf higher around his head and tied it more firmly. He swapped gloves as well, making sure that Nine was wearing the dry ones and that he got the damp ones. There was a good chance that Five would get to the Library and be in the same shape as Nine was.

" _If that's what I have to do then I'll do it. Nine can't hold out like this. This isn't him…"_ It was breaking his heart into pieces seeing how delirious Nine had become. He stopped crying, but was now looking groggy, like he was about ready to fall asleep. He lifted him in his arms instead of carrying him on his back. It made him more difficult to carry, but he was under the impression that this would keep Nine warmer than holding him above him. "Are you ready?" he forced a smile and asked, standing out front of the cardboard box. Nine looked to him with wide pupils and gave a weak nod.

Then Five left the safety of the alley and began to hike the seemingly long way back to the Library. It was colder than he had ever imagined and yet he continued through the ever growing snow on the ground. Thankfully, Five had weathered cold weather before and his body somehow managed to resist the blizzard relatively well. Part of him considered that maybe it was his determination to get Nine home safe. He didn't know if that was actually a possibility, but it certainly felt like it could be. It seemed to be forever before he was in the courtyard.

By time he reached the front steps, which were thick with snow, he could see Seven appear in the doorway. She looked pleased to see him at first, but this turned to concern as she saw that he was carrying Nine in his arms. She headed to their side as Five stumbled in. He found himself choking in a grizzled voice, marred by chill and wind. "Get Two. Please." She didn't have to be told twice and she didn't even pause to ask. Seven immediately sprinted off into the Library while Five continued to shuffle in.

He headed directly for the cauldron that they used for warmth; the one that survived from the Cathedral. Thankfully it was lit and filled with warm embers. None of the Stitchpunks were nearby, but it didn't stop Five from shuffling closer. His limbs felt like they were starting to freeze and he only now realized how cold he was. Right as he started to bask in the warmth, holding Nine near it too, he heard the sound of a group of footsteps from running Stitchpunks. Seven appeared again, this time with both Two and One who had apparently tagged along.

All of them looked alarmed at the state that the two were in. Two moved forward to address Nine, "How long has he been like this?" Two inquired, looking over Nine and checking his face. Nine's face twitched a little and his optics opened just a bit, causing Two to sigh in relief. This meant that Nine was still a little conscious. "A while… We were trying to hide in an alley, but he had gotten wet and I couldn't… It's all my fault! He asked if we could make it home…!" Five only stopped crying out to catch his breath and in this time Two quieted him.

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is getting both you and Nine warm. You are both in danger of hypothermia, even now." Five gave a nod and noticed Eight and Six appear as well. Two started to beckon Eight, but Five stopped him. "I've already got him. I can carry him." The Inventor seemed concerned, but agreed and led all of them back to Nine and Five's shared bedroom. Five glanced at Six as he passed with a sympathetic look; he hadn't even remembered to bring the ink that they had gone for.

The Artist's reaction was sudden as he looked down with a look of shame in himself. The one eyed male wanted to assure him but was whisked away too quickly. He laid Nine down on his bed and started to wrap the blankets around him. "He was starting a fever a while ago. You probably can't feel it from the cold," he started, but was suddenly stopped by Seven. "You heard Two. You're not out of the woods yet either." She started to lead him to his bed. A small smile broke her firm exterior. "He's only a little way away. You can watch him from your bed."

Five nodded in agreement and quietly laid down in bed as well, dragging the blanket over his body and collapsing on the bedding. Only at that second did he realize how tired he was. Two was quick to check over Nine. He patted his cheek, "Nine? Are you awake?" The zippered male groaned a little and opened his optics. "Are you having any pain anywhere?" Nine shifted a little bit and shivered, "My head… My head's a little- Five?" He suddenly started to become a bit more panicked. "Where's Five?" Five started to sit upwards, but Seven stopped him and called over to Nine.

"He's right here, Nine. He's just laying down." As Nine looked over towards his bed, Five protested against Seven's hand and continued to sit up in bed. "Nine, I'm okay, don't worry about me." Nine seemed relieved to see the one eyed male and gave a small smile, "Sorry, I didn't see you…" His mood has changed again and yet Five was not nearly as concerned. He knew that Two was going to take good care of him and listened as his mentor delegate tasks. "Seven, if you could get some water and rags. One, I will need more blankets… Don't give me that look. You're here, you can help."

Two then walked over to beside Five's bed, smiling down at him. "And you need to rest. I'll keep a close optic on Nine." Five nodded and let his optic close, bringing the blankets tighter to him.

* * *

With the two Stitchpunks in bed and Two at work, the others did what they could. Which involved One now getting Eight to do his tasks for him. The Guard was recovering some of the spare blankets from the storage room and started down the hall when he heard something. He hesitated outside of Six's bedroom for a second as he listened in, then slowly pushed open the curtain and peered in. Just as usual, Six's bedroom was a mess of paper scraps and drawings that had yet to be hung. Six himself was lying face down on his bed, curled into a ball and clearly crying from the trembling and soft sobbing.

Eight considered just walking away and pretending he didn't hear. He wasn't good with comforting people and he got awkward around crying Stitchpunks, so he wasn't exactly fit for the job. Yet Six sounded so pitiful, so Eight reluctantly held the blankets under his arm and entered the room. "What are you crying about? Is this about the ink?" Eight questioned as he approached. Six gasped and turned to look at Eight. "If it is- Gah!" Eight jolted at the sight of Six's face. Black ink dribbled out from under his lens and down his face.

The Guard had never seen the Artist cry, so suddenly seeing black tears, or tears at all, was extremely jarring. "Uh… So what's this about?" He managed to regain compositor as Six wiped his optics on his arm. "I-It's not about ink…" he quietly admitted as he tilted his head down. "It's about Nine and Five. I made them like this. I sent them out for ink and now they're like this… It's all my fault." Eight raised brow, "You're overreacting. They could've said no." "No, they couldn't. I… I insisted. They wouldn't have left if it wasn't for me."

His voice choked a little and he covered his face, either to hide the tears or shame. This didn't change Eight's opinion on the whole thing. He exhaled tiredly and dropped the blankets to the floor. Then he moved to the bed and crouched down. While he would've never done something like this a year before, back when their exchanges were more tense, Eight couldn't stand the sight of seeing anyone, even Six, bawling like this. "Nine and Five take off constantly. They would've been out there anyway."

"But-." Eight cut him off. "They would've found a way. Trust me. When are they not out there getting into danger?" Six didn't seem fully convinced and Eight sat down on the other side of the bed, it creaking under his weight. "How many times has Nine dragged you or me or the others out into the Emptiness for some stupid reason? You know this isn't all your fault. Besides, you didn't predict a blizzard… Right?" Six shook his head and rubbed his key. "N-No… but I should have." Before Eight could move, Six suddenly turned to him and, in a moment of lapsed judgement, hugged onto him.

Eight stared in surprise down at the Artist who was now clinging to his front and weeping pitifully once more. He couldn't fathom what he was thinking; they were definitely not on this good of terms. Eight slowly dropped his hand onto Six's numbered back and gave it an uneven pat, then lightly rubbed the canvas as Six shed more ink tears. This couldn't have just been from this, regardless of what Six said. Eight knew whatever this breakdown was had been pent inside for a while. Once Six started to quiet down, Eight tried coaxing him again.

"You want to help me carry these over to their room? It's not much, but it's something." Six gave a slight nod and moved back. "I think I'd like that… Oh no." He stared at Eight's front that was now stained a little in the ink. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-!" Eight shrugged it off, "Don't worry about it. It's all part of the job." He got a slight smile and stood, offering a hand to Six who eagerly took it to stand, but then didn't release it. In fact, Six seemed rather determined not to release him from his grasp, even trying to lean down and grab some of the blankets without releasing his hold.

"M'kay," Six stood, one arm holding a heap of blankets while the other hand still held Eight's. "I'm ready!" He gave Eight a small smile and the two headed out. Not once did Eight resist Six's grasp.

* * *

"Thank you for your help," Two's voice sounded amused as he spoke. He entered the throne room with Seven, preparing to get more water while Seven checked on the twins. The comment was aimed, however, at One who was back on his throne bundling himself in the robe. "A good leader helps when he can," he responded. Seven and Two shot each other perplexed looks, then Seven got a slight smirk and headed on her way. Two approached the throne, "One, I was being sarcastic. You just came out here and sat down again."

He rested a hand on his hip, the other arm holding the ink well. One waved him off, "There was nothing left for me to do. You all become uncomfortable when I hover and I would like to believe that I don't need to hover as much anymore." The shorter male wandered closer to the throne, setting the ink well done. "Well… Nine and Five are both asleep, so this is the best time." He moved a little closer and One tightened his grip on his robe, knowing exactly what he was planning. "Someone will see you," he warns the shorter male.

"Someone already saw us earlier," Two reminds with an amused smile. For a few seconds One considers this, then allows Two to slip beside him. It was a tight fit, especially since Two was trying to stay under the robe with him, but it was incredibly warm. The warmth is worth how tightly pressed to his side the Inventor was. Two chuckled a little out of nowhere and rested his head on One's shoulder. "Do you remember that time the bucket lift was derailed and you and I were forced to sleep in the Workshop?" One considered making one of his usual bitter comments, but he didn't.

With the warmth and the closeness, One was feeling a lot less like his usual self. He rested his head on Two's. "I remember that. It was very cold that night as well." Two's tone turned a bit quieter, "Do you remember what we did to keep warm?" A tightness started to form in the Leader's chest. "…No… I actually don't recall." Two's low tone raised to a delighted chirp, "First we tried that heater, but you didn't like the smell it was giving off." Now One remembered entirely, no longer pretending to be coy. "It was smoking. Of course it smelled foul."

"It needed a little work. It still does." Two curled closer to him, resting a hand on one of One's buckles in an affectionate manner. One moved the robe closed around them to somewhat hide it. "…Do you remember what we did next?" They fell silent once more. One turned towards Two, wrapping an arm around him and tugging him closer, "I believe I do… But it was so long ago that I'm afraid the details are blurry… Perhaps we should go to my room and you can remind me." He relished in how Two's face burst into color, as green as his soul could possibly be.

"…Five and Nine should be alright alone…." Two murmured in a hushed tone. The next thing he knew, One had stood and took his hand, leading him back towards his bedroom.

* * *

When Nine awoke he still felt exhausted. It felt as though he had been knocked around by a Beast, but he knew he hadn't. With a yawn he pushed himself upwards and sat on the bed, groggily staring across the room. He felt too hot for the layers of blankets over his lower half and kicked them off. It didn't help that the rusty heater of Two's was also beside the bed, aiming right at him. He had to actually stand and stumble away from the bed as fast as possible in an attempt to cool himself, as he was too warm to stand it much longer.

His optics landed on Five's bed where the one eyed male was laying down. He wandered over and looked down at him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. Five was also quite warm and Nine dragged his hand higher to brush his forehead. He was overheating a little. "Oh Five…" Nine couldn't remember much of what happened, but he knew that the Healer had brought him home. "Five, I'm so sorry." He stroked over his patch and Five groaned, "You shouldn't be out of bed." Nine flinched back a bit, "Uh… I didn't know you were awake."

His optic opened and he gave a playful smile back at him. "I haven't really gotten any sleep." Nine's hand dropped to his shoulder. He could hear the exhaustion crackling in the buttoned male's voice. "How are you feeling?" Five turned over onto his back to face him, "Alright… I think I overdid it. I'm going to need some rest, just like you should be doing right now." Nine chuckled and sat down on the foot of his bed. "I got too hot. Apparently the heater actually works now." His smile wavered, "But I'm okay… I hate seeing you like this and knowing I caused this."

"No, don't say that!" Five sits upwards fully and put his hand on Nine's shoulder. He swayed lightly for a moment and Nine started to reach forwards. "I'm okay, I just sat up a little fast," Five reassured and stabilized quickly. "Nine… I risked myself because I wanted to keep you safe. I knew there was a risk, but you're more important than a little discomfort." He grew a little meeker with his smile becoming more shy. "I was pretty worried about you, Nine, but I guess I worry about you a lot." Nine smiled back and felt a growing heat underneath his zipper, a comforting warmth.

It wouldn't be the first time that he felt safe with Five. He never doubted that if he faltered Five could help him. Though it now made him realize that they had switched roles. He was doing much better, or he assumed so because he couldn't remember what had happened, while Five now suffered the consequences of the cold. "And I worry about you two. I owe my life to you." Five looked away with a slight blush. "I don't know about that…" Nine insisted, "You did! So… So I guess I have no choice but to return the favor and take care of you."

"…I don't know if that's a good idea. Nine, you- you were pretty bad. You really need to rest," Five pointed out with a shiver and Nine smiled in his usual lopsided fashion, "I can rest later. I want to help you." The Healer considered this and then offered. "Well… I mean, there's one thing you could do…" He shyly nudged the blankets down beside him to give the hint. The request surprised the younger, but he couldn't resist the sweet smile that accompanied it. "I think I can manage that." Nine climbed the bed and slid under the blankets beside his friend.

He was still uncomfortably warm, that was certain, but it was worth it for Five. It also wasn't nearly as hot as his own bed; Five hadn't moved much so this side of his bed had stayed cool. He made himself comfortable beside Five, feeling him shiver a little. "Cold?" Five gave a small nod, "Y-Yeah. I don't think it's that cold in here though." Nine shuffled closer to his back, "How about we try your tactic?" Five gave a soft hum in questioning. "Keeping ourselves warm from holding each other. I think it'll work better now that we're dry and in bed."

When Five hesitated Nine added, "Come on, Five. Why is it that we only hug when we're in imminent danger?" It was a tease that got Five to laugh. He turned over to face Nine and put his arm over him, pulling him close. Nine rested his head against Five's patch and loved the feeling of the fabric against his own. "We might still be in danger. That heater is still on," Five joked back and Nine snickered against him. He hugged the healer back, "Creator, Five, I love you." In an instant Five went stiff and completely still. Nine noticed it, "What?"

"Y-You said… Nine, do you- You said…" He couldn't get the muddled words out. It had just been so sudden that it took him off guard. "Do you know what that means?... Wait, no, what did you mean? Did you mean that I'm- I know I'm your friend-." The younger male could only be endeared by how flustered that he had gotten from those words. "Five, I know what I said," he gently insisted. Five still looked like he was reeling from the reveal, "I… I love you too." A delight overwhelmed Nine, but he still felt the need to ask, "Are you sure?"

Five's warm arms were tightly clutched around him, both of them, and into a more secure squeeze than before. He pressed his lips to Nine's cheek in a soft kiss. "I'm sure. I've always been." He gave another chuckle, but it was more of happiness than amusement. Nine pressed back eagerly, "I don't know why you'd even bother when I keep getting you into trouble." He stated it honestly but in a still lightened tone, too happy about the current embrace to be overwhelmed by the previous guilt. Five continued to litter his cheek in soft kisses.

"Because I love the trouble?" he suggested in a sweet tone. Though right afterwards he hummed in disconcert. "What?" Nine asked. "Your cheek's still a little cold…" Nine snickered in response, "I think you've got that wrong. I think your face is still burning. Look, I got you all riled when you're supposed to be resting!" He tucked the blanket around Five, then noticed the overheating again and subtly nudged it down a bit more. "I think maybe if I try I can get back to sleep. You?" Five nodded again him, "Yeah. I'm pretty beat… Kind of literally beat too."

Nine responded to the joke with a soft kiss on Five's lips. This was their first one and he knew it was a rather bold gesture. It only lasted a few seconds before Nine pulled back. "Then let's get some sleep. This time… I'll keep you warm." Five was more than happy to agree and held his friend tightly to him, petting over his back. It was so much better than the cardboard box could have ever been, but for a moment neither could actually regret what they had done. Just because they ended up like this in the end; that was worth the struggle.

"By the way…" Five quietly pointed out with a sheepish tone, "We, uh, forgot the ink."

* * *

 _ **FIN**_

 **Mable: I hope that everyone enjoyed it! This took longer than I imagined it would, but I enjoyed writing every word of it. ^-^**


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